All you need to know about DUMBO's tech sector

The Wakefield Guide: DUMBO Startups

Before DUMBO became the epicenter of the NYC tech boom, the Brooklyn neighborhood was largely the domain of artists, attracted by the cheap, big loft spaces and the otherwise-vanished sense of “old New York”.

Today, most of the urban grit is gone – hell, a massive antique carousel has been assembled on the waterfront – but those sprawling spaces and stunning views remain.

And with the recent sale of five warehouses that once housed the Jehovah’s Witnesses HQ, opening up 1.2 million square feet of retail and office space (they’re calling it Dumbo Heights), the area is about to experience a second renaissance of sorts.

So what better time to make yourself an expert in all things under the Manhattan Bridge overpass? We’ve assembled the best places to eat, drink, and work, in the neighborhood to get you started.

Please note this is a living document, like the Constitution. If you want to make a suggestion, make a correction, or amend your startup, coffeeshop, or coworking space to the list, get in touch.

It’s all thanks to the cardboard box. In 1890 the Scottish emigrant Robert Gair invented the paperboard folding carton on 55 Washington Street (now the home of Etsy), and began transforming the area into a manufacturing district. Brillo pads, heavy machinery, and cardboard boxes were all made in the area, known variously as Olympia, Fulton Landing, and Gairville.

When New York City went all Midnight Cowboy in the 60s and 70s, rapid deindustrialization left many of the area’s massive warehouses and factories abandoned. Then-Mayor John Lindsay’s solution was the Artists-in-Residence program, allowed “Certified Artists” to live and work on the top floors of many of the buildings for next to nothing.

In 1978, as developers eyed the neighborhood, a group of local artists decided to call the region DUMBO (though DANYA, District Around the Navy Yard Annex, was also a contender). “Who, after all, would spend a million dollars for a loft in a place called DUMBO?” co-namer Crane Davis mused.

A lot of people, it turns out. Today, the median sale price of a DUMBO apartment is $1.5 million.

Where to Meet

Be it over a slice, a burrito, a glass of wine or a coffee, there are options aplenty for meeting with friends and colleagues in DUMBO. Let’s take a look at some of the neighborhood’s most popular spots.

There may be nobody New Yorkers trust more with pizza than Patsy Grimaldi, and he and his wife Carol returned to location of the original Grimaldi's to open Juliana's. The signature pie? Margherita, of course.

West Elm Market's best known for its furniture and home décor, but it also just might be the Dumbo's preferred coffee resource.

What to Know

DUMBO is hardly the real estate bargain it once was – in fact rents are among the highest in the city. But that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach – there are a wealth of opportunities to work, and play, in the hood.

You can’t tell us you’re surprised that there’s a WeWork location here, are you?

Where to Work

The bulk of DUMBO’s startup and tech scene is concentrated in just a few former warehouses along Jay Street, Main Street, and Water Street, though with the imminent arrival of DUMBO Heights, all of that’s about to change. For now, have a look at some of the neighborhood’s biggest startups.